Thank you for the kind words and honor

In 1974 Dr. Glenn L. Smith received the very first Imlay City Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award. Some fifty years later, the Chamber honored me with the award and I couldn’t be more thankful.

As I looked over the list of those who have received the Chamber’s highest honor, I’m happy to have my name on the prestigious list. People who were firefighters, bankers, lawyers, business owners and priests. People who held a special place in their heart and in their actions for Imlay City.

So for those reasons I’m honored and thank the Imlay City Area Chamber of Commerce for the high honor of being named the 2024 Imlay City Citizen of the Year.

My wife Kim is also on the list and was honored in 2009 as Citizen of the Year. She is a tireless worker for the Chamber and worked very hard for the Blueberry Festival and more recently the Summer Fest. Kim was a cheer and dance coach for many years as well, sinking her heart and soul into it.

Kim has been an outstanding mother to our only son Keil and treasures our grandchildren, Ryker, Zadyn and Beaudry.

I know Kim worked hard to make sure everything was just perfect at Castle Creek for the Chamber’s awards dinner. I can’t thank her enough for being a wonderful and supportive partner in life, career and marriage.

Kim and I have been newspapering together for nearly 45 years. She whole heartedly supported all my business ventures and worked hand-in-hand with me. She encouraged me in my idea for an outdoor magazine, an outdoor show, a farm publication and a printing company. Kim was a little more hesitant in her support of purchasing a golf course, but in true Kim spirit she put her head down and worked relentlessly to make it a success.

Kim didn’t mind when I was gone most evenings for 25 years coaching Imlay City wrestlers. She didn’t mind the many hunting trips I took to British Columbia for moose, Alberta for giant whitetail, Saskatchewan for black bear, Manitoba for whitetail, Florida Keys for tarpon or Newfoundland for caribou.

She did have a problem with me going into the tundra by myself to get pictures of polar bears, or hitching a ride in a F-4 Phantom fighter jet cruising a mere 500 feet above ground and traveling 500 mph.

Kim didn’t mind when I went to Bulgaria and Turkey to coach USA wrestling teams or when a team of Brazilian wrestlers performed Capoeira in our living room during a visit here.

She’s special and I love her dearly.

I’d also like to thank my mother-in-law Delores and her late husband Marty, who introduced me to the newspaper business. They both changed my life’s direction. Today, newspapering is a far cry from what it used to be; technology has seen to that. I can understand how blacksmiths must have felt toward Henry Ford, because I feel the same way about Mark Zuckerberg.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Tom and Lori Campbell are also very special people to me. They are always willing to help and both have been a sense of reason for me when it comes to business. Tom jokes, “Randy has never met a business he doesn’t like. Don’t give him any ideas.”

I couldn’t be more thankful for my son Keil and grandson’s Ryker, Zadyn and Beaudry, they fill my heart. Keil is and has been working in the family buisness for several years now.

There is plenty more to be thankful for and plenty of people to thank. I was moved by the very kind words of Vicki Sefcovic, Catherine Minolli, Ian Kempf and my son Keil during the presentation. As always it’s outstanding to have State Senator like Kevin Daley who has been presenting State of Michigan proclamations of honor awards from the Capitol for years. I was also thankful so many of my friends and co-workers who took the time to share the evening with me.

I’d like to close by thanking the Chamber President Sheryl Davis for her incredible courage and professionalism during difficult times. In fact, the entire Chamber Board went well above and beyond to reverse some mistakes made earlier in the year. This is one of the best Chamber Boards with which I have had the pleasure of working.

The fifty year tradition of the Chamber’s highest award presentation and dinner is in good hands and there are lots of deserving people to honor in the future. Imlay City is a good place to live and work.

It’s my home.

Contact Randy at rjorgensen@pageone-inc.com